Why the Best Hosts Serve Punch

Go big batch with these three party punches. Then go home (for the holidays).

How can you throw a cocktail party where you don't have to play bartender all night, yet your guests never go without a drink? There are two ways: Hire a bartender, or make a big batch of punch.

We're into the latter. So we reached out to Union Square Hospitality Group’s Julia Momose of GreenRiver in Chicago and Erik Lombardo of Marta in NYC for some tips on punches that will please a crowd and bring out anyone's inner-host.

The Starter Punch

For a crowd pleasing punch, keep it simple. The Fish House punch is as straightforward as it gets—no esoteric ingredients, no days of studied preparation. In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups superfine sugar in 1 quart water and 1 quart of lemon juice. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add 2 quarts dark rum, 1 quart cognac, and 4 ounces brandy, taste, and adjust the flavor if needed with an additional quart of water.

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But note: When it comes to adding water to punches, Momose stresses that you take the size of the ice you have on hand into account. The smaller your ice, the less water you need to add, as small ice will melt quickly and dilute your punch.

Photo by Christopher Testani

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The Spiced Punch

Feeling like something a little more complex? Momose suggests a punch with layers of flavor, from toffee and butterscotch to notes of fresh fruit.

In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups cane sugar with 2 quarts brewed green tea and stir until the sugar has dissolved. (If the tea is hot/warm, the sugar will dissolve more easily; just make sure that you chill the ingredients before adding ice and serving.) Add 1 quart lemon juice, 2 quarts aged rum (we like the butterscotch-rich Plantation 5 yr.), ½ quart PX sherry, and 6 ounces apricot brandy. Drop in some star anise and vanilla beans. Add a big ball of ice just before serving.

The Spiciest Punch

For a holiday punch with lots of character, Lombardo suggests a tea-based concoction bumped up with lots of spices.

The perfect finishing touch? Freshly ground nutmeg. Lombardo leaves whole nutmeg and a grater by the punch bowl so each guest can add as much as he or she wants to her glass. They're guests, after all—it's good hospitality to let them do as they please.